Start date set for sand replenishment at Waikiki Beach

Work on a 60-day, $2.4 million sand replenishment project at Waikiki Beach will begin Jan. 23.

Returning the beach to a width not seen since 1985, the project will restore sand to approximately 1,730 feet of shoreline, stretching from the west end of the Kuhio swim basin, near the Duke Kahanamoku statue, to the Sheraton Waikiki hotel.

“We are very excited about this project and the opportunity to reclaim beach sand that has been lost to erosion,” William Aila, chairperson for Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), said in a statement. “This recycling program offers a more efficient method for maintaining a recreational beach while mitigating some of the environmental impacts of imported sand to the Waikiki ecosystem over the past 60-plus years.”

Around 24,000 cubic yards of sand will be recovered from deposits located 1,500 to 3,000 feet offshore. Work will take place daily during daylight hours. Beach closures will occur where the active sand placement work is being done from Jan. 23 and March 20.

According to DLNR officials, except for the 200-foot sections undergoing sand replenishment, the rest of Waikiki Beach will remain open during work on the project.